|
Obituaries
of James T. Ball
James T. Ball was born March 11, 1843 and married Sarah
Frances Waller in Monroe County, Missouri on August 31,
1865. He died on June 14, 1893, and is buried at Long Branch
Cemetery, north of Mexico, Mo.
Collected
information indicates that he was a veteran of Co. C, 1st
Northeast Missouri Cavalry and Co D , 9th
Missouri Sharpshooters, a Military POW and admitted to the
USA Post Hospital on June 12, 1865.
A
SAD SUICIDE.
Last
Wednesday morning, about 6 o’clock, Mr. James T. Ball,
residing two miles north of Paris, went to his barn, telling
his wife he was going to shoot some rats. She heard the
report of the gun, and he not returning to the house for
sometime, she went to the barn to see about him. She found
him lying in the barn, the gun across his body, and him
dead. He had pulled the foe off of his right foot, placed
the muzzle of an old musket in his mouth, pulled the trigger
with his toe and shooting himself through the head, bursting
the skull tearing out the right eye. The screams of the
ladies of the house celled in the neighbors who removed the
body to the house, where it was viewed by coroner Johnson
and Jury, and the following verdict rendered: We, the jury,
impaneled and sworn by Dr. G.A. Johnson, coroner, do find
that James T. Ball came to his death, on June 14, 1893, by a
gunshot wound administered by his own hand, the cause
supposed to be temporary insanity”. Mr. Ball was about 55
years and a member of the Baptist church. He leaves a wife
and three grown children. Mr. Ball was about 55 years old
and a member of the Baptist church. He leaves a wife and
three grown children. He has been an intense sufferer of
dyspepsia for sometime and had been heard to say that he
would rather be dead then continue in pain, and had
threatened to take his life. He was a kind, good man, and
was highly respected by his neighbors.”
(Note:
Dyspepsia is the medical term for heartburn or acid
indigestion, and can have symptoms similar to a heart
attack.)
ANOTHER
SUICIDE.
This
community was again startled, on Wednesday morning by the
news that James Ball, living about 2 miles north of Paris,
had committed suicide that morning. It seems that he had
been low spirited and depressed for some time; and that his
family had felt some uneasiness in regard to his condition.
On Tuesday evening he took an old musket to the barn and
shot some rats. Early on Wednesday morning he went into his
house and picked up the gun and started out again. His wife
asked him if he was going to shoot rats, and he replied in
the affirmative. He went to the barn, and in short time the
report of his gun was heard.
In
a few moments breakfast was ready and his wife called him to
come in, and after waiting, but not hearing an answer she
went out to the barn and there found her husband already
dead, with the whole front part of the skull blown away. It
appears that after he left the house he went immediately to
the barn, removed his shoe and sock, placed the muzzle of
the gun in his mouth, and pulled the trigger with his toe.
The charge went up through hi s face and head, blowing his
forehead entirely away. The sight must have been a terrible
shock to his wife, who, while fearing the worst was hardly
prepared for the sight that met her gaze. We know of no
cause for this rash deed. Mr. Ball was about 52 years of
age, and leaves a devoted wife and three children, all
grown, to mourn over his sad fate, to whom we extend our
deepest sympathies.”
Compiled
using miscellaneous sources, to include “The Bravest of
the Brave – Pindall’s 9th Missouri Battlion
of Sharpshooters” by Carolyn M. Bartels and newspaper
articles from the files of Brad Taylor – The Paris Mercury,
June 16, 1893, and the Monroe Appeal, June 16, 1893;
. Transcribed by Lisa Perry. |
